Revival of Truth
by Photophobic
Summary: They all thought he was dead. Yet, as he stood there before them, he was as alive as ever. November Eleven: switching sides, confusing the police, and making a point. But will he be able to dodge death again once the Syndicate finds out?
1. Chapter 1

**Note: takes place in the first season, roughly around episodes 22-23, but with details from beyond that point and alterations of the real plot-line. November has already died, but Misaki and Li haven't had their little conversation yet.**

**In honor of November Eleven. 11/11 is his day after all.**

**Disclaimer: I'd wish upon a star, but all of them are fake.**

**Revival of Truth**

"Where am I?" the blonde man on the table asked. He tried to move, but a sharp pain in his chest kept him bound.

"You should rest for now," a female voice said. The blonde man glanced over at a tall woman with short black hair. She was on the ground, doing pushups. After a brief moment, she stopped and stood up.

"Who are you?" the man demanded. If he could breathe properly at the moment, he'd also ask where he was.

"Her name is Ruby," replied a young girl, stepping forward and dismissing her companion. Ruby nodded and left.

The man's eyes went wide as he saw the girl. "Amber," he breathed.

Amber smiled and continued, saying, "Her ability is to heal. We arrived just in time."

"I don't understand," the man stated. "You told me I would die."

"And you did," Amber answered. "For three minutes. Everyone else thinks you're gone. I need it to stay that way for the rest of my plan to work. After it's done, you're free to do as you please," she offered. Her eyes bore softly into his. "What do you say, November Eleven?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Misaki's mind was troubled at work the next morning. Words from that day and days past echoed relentlessly. It was always safe to say that BK-201 had been her constant puzzle, but her pieces were transforming. It made total sense and yet no sense all at the same time.

"_What are you after? What do I have left for you to take from me?"_

_His eye, showing through the crack in his mask._

There was so much emotion. Too much for a contractor. Then, after he'd collapsed, she'd gone after him, ready with a gun. She'd ordered him to lie flat on the ground. He stared at her. Just stared. He'd escaped, he always did, but for just a split second, she had seen something crying out from those dark depths. Something painful. Something human.

When she thought about November, Misaki still felt her eyes get moist. She remembered the teasing light that shined almost constantly in the blue, blue irises that should have also held no such emotion. He'd been human, too.

Outside the window, the fake stars sparkled. By heart, she knew where both BK-201 and November Eleven's stars were. What she found strange was that both were still there. Well, sort of. November's star had fallen and vanished, but three minutes after it had done so, another appeared in the exact same place. Astronomics believed that, although they'd never seen such a thing, it was possible that a new Contractor had risen and that their star had taken the place of November's.

A call broke Misaki from her thoughts.

"Chief," Saitou announced, "two Contractors are active down by the Nifty building. One of them is BK-201."

Misaki didn't need any other words to get her going.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hei cursed after being flung backward from an attack. He'd been charged to take care of a rogue Syndicate member working in the Nifty building. Even though he knew that the Syndicate was bad news now, he'd taken the job to avoid suspicion. Right now, he was beginning to wonder if they _did_ know after all, since no one had bothered to tell Hei that the Contractor had the ability to suck all the air out of any area he chose. Hei had nearly been suffocated three times already.

"Just get out of here!" the Contractor, CC-592, screamed. "Go back to your reeking Syndicate and leave me alone!"

Hei frowned and threw a knife toward the man. A deep cut was dug into his flesh. The man hissed and grabbed his bleeding arm.

"You have no idea," CC-592 ranted. "You have no idea about what the Syndicate is about! They are corrupt! They'll get rid of us all! I'd rather die fighting against them than for them."

Hei's wire flung out and wound around the man's neck. "That doesn't seem very rational," Hei remarked.

The Contractor fell, his hands struggling to free himself from the noose. His body glowed blue for a second, but a tug on the wire from Hei choked off his powers.

"Don't listen to what they tell you," CC-592 ground out. "We're not all cold beings. We can feel just like any other human out there. We're not…not…_dead._"

Hei's grip loosened a little. This man knew. The fact made Hei even more reluctant to kill him.

"You feel it, too, right?" CC-592 asked, eyes pleading. "Even though you're the Black Reaper and you're supposed to be ruthless, you feel like you're at least partly human."

It was Hei's choice now: kill this man like the Syndicate told him to or let him live because CC-592 had discovered what Hei had just started to. The next moment, that decision was out of his hands.

A man in black slacks and a tight blue shirt flew in from out of nowhere. A white jacket clung loosely to his shoulders, left wide-open in the center, but buttoned around the collar so as to cover his mouth. The hood from his blue shirt had been pulled up, however, to cover his hair. There was only one thing about his appearance that irritated Hei. As if to mock him, this man also wore a mask. The difference was that this man's mask was solid black and covered only the top of his face. The high collar of his jacket hid the rest.

The mystery man cleanly sliced Hei's wire in half, freeing CC-592. The emancipated Contractor wasted no time in escaping. Hei returned his stare toward his new opponent.

"Who are you?" Hei asked.

The man smirked. "Let's just say I'm an old acquaintance."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Misaki's phone vibrated just as she was about to break into the building. Clutching her gun and plastering herself against the wall, she answered.

"Misaki," her best friend Kanami addressed from the other end, "we have another Contractor."

"Who?" Misaki inquired.

"The person whose star took November's place."

Misaki hung up immediately and rushed through the door. The matter was personal now. She _had_ to see who it was. Fighting reached her hears from up ahead. She ran faster, Saitou right behind her. The storeroom opened up. Black and white clashed in a blur. She gasped and pulled to a stop.

BK-201 and another masked Contractor were in a heated battle.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hei shot his wire toward the intruder. The cable wrapped around the man tightly. Yet, as electricity was sent through it, the unknown Contractor only smiled.

"Rubber is a wonderful invention, isn't it?" he teased.

With a quick jerk, the Contractor pulled back and knocked Hei off balance. The wire snapped around the bound man. Hei bolted forward with his knife, trying to get a hit in on the man, but his opponent side-stepped so that Hei's strike only grazed his shoulder. What was more crucial was that this position gave the black-masked Contractor an opportunity to grab onto Hei's wrist. Suddenly, the Black Reaper was getting very cold. Hei began to shiver uncontrollably as he was pushed downward.

"Shall we find out if the Reaper himself is afraid of death?" the man taunted. Hei stiffened. A smirk pulled at the man's lips. "Relax, it was a joke. I won't kill you."

"What do you want?" Hei demanded.

"Personally, I want nothing with you, although I wouldn't mind seeing who it is behind the mask," the Contractor announced. "It's Amber that needs you. I feel it would be pointless to ask you to come along quietly, but the offer still stands."

"…What's your name?" Hei asked.

"Aisu," the Contractor answered.

"Did Amber give you that name?"

"Yes."

Hei turned his head to the side. "I'm not coming."

Aisu released him. "I figured," he said, "but it didn't hurt to ask. You will come eventually, though."

"Did Amber tell you that, too?" Hei interrogated.

"Amber told me a lot of things, _Hei_," Aisu replied. "And, personally, I find it hard to argue with someone who has seen the future."

Aisu began to walk away as Hei stared moodily at the ground. He felt like he was being thrown onto a path that he could not control. Everyone except him seemed to know where his life would lead. He wanted nothing more than to break those expectations and follow his own decisions instead.

"Freeze! Police!"

Both male Contractors turned to look at Misaki. Her exterior was just as hard as her grip on the gun she pointed at them.

"Interesting choice of words," Aisu commented. He pulled a small bottle out from under his jacket and threw its contents. The water splashed onto Misaki's gun. It froze instantly. She stared at him in astonishment.

"Goodbye!" Aisu called with a wave, darting out the door.

By the time Misaki's attention had shifted back to BK-201, he was gone as well.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hei cursed as he slammed his hand against a tree. Yin sat on the bench beside him. Angrily, he fell onto the seat. Yin placed her hand on his shoulder, only to have him shrug it off.

"Don't know what's got you so riled up," Huang remarked, puffing on a cigar. "It's not like you wanted to take the mission in the first place."

"It's not the mission," Hei growled. "There was another Contractor there. Aisu, he said his name was."

"So?"

Instead of answering, Hei stood up and walked out of the park. Yin followed closely behind him, holding onto his bulletproof trench coat. Huang puffed on his cigar again and stared out at the setting sun. He kept thinking about how each time they met might be the last one. There was no telling when the Syndicate would decide that their group was too dangerous to have around. He snuck a glance at Hei and Yin moving farther and farther away. Smoke poured out from his mouth as he wondered if he would miss them.


	2. Chapter 2

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Chief Kirihara," Ootsuka said, "General Hourai wants you."

Misaki nodded and put away her paperwork. It was getting late. She wondered what he wanted this time. Truthfully, she'd been growing to dislike the man. All of their conversations started to seem like they were on two opposite sides instead of working for the same force. She knocked on the door, announcing her name and position.

"Come in," Hourai called.

She stepped into the room, surprised to see another group of people there. They were armed agents of some kind standing around what looked like a young girl. The girl's eyes were lifeless, suggesting that she was a Doll.

"We have made an interesting capture," Hourai declared. "The girl you see over there is an accomplice of BK-201. She was seen with him recently and we caught her soon after he left. After analyzing past situations as well as their behavioral patterns, we believe she would be suitable bait. This could be our opportune chance to finally take down BK-201."

Misaki glanced back at the girl. She looked so young and innocent despite her gothic dress and silver hair.

"Are you sure she is connected with BK-201?" Misaki questioned.

"Positive," Hourai assured. "I'm putting _you_ in charge of watching her. If BK-201 shows up, you are to notify me immediately. Two of the guards will stay close by. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Misaki agreed.

"There is a special detention room set up. Place her in there. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I hope you realize the importance of this. I have made sure that you will be paid a bonus," Hourai said.

She nodded and led the guards out of the room and toward the station's holding cells. They were underneath the building for security. Once there, the girl was ushered into the specified unit and all but two of the guards left. Notifying the remaining agents, Misaki entered the cell as well so that she could ask the girl a few questions. She approached the Doll and knelt down in front of her.

"Do you have a name?" Misaki inquired.

"Yin," the girl stated monotonously.

"How old are you, Yin?"

"I don't know."

Misaki should have figured the girl wouldn't know much. Her brown eyes locked onto Yin's violet ones, trying to form some sort of connection. "Are you the Doll who assists BK-201, otherwise known as the Black Reaper?"

Yin didn't answer.

"Do you like working with him?" Misaki pressed.

Yin paused. Slowly, she asked, "…Like?"

Misaki sighed, remembering Dolls didn't have preferences. But then, she was shocked when Yin whispered, "Yes."

"We believe he will come here and try to rescue you," Misaki hinted, seeing what more she could get out of the girl. "What do you think?"

Silence.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Amber sat on top of a wooden crate, swinging her legs. Beneath her, November Eleven stood with a cigarette in his mouth.

"If you don't mind my asking," he started, "why would you have me offer your alliance even if you knew BK-201 would not agree?"

"Sometimes," she said with a smile, "you have to learn that every word counts. Even if asking won't do anything now, the question will be planted in his mind and there won't be as much of a fuss later."

"Experience, I take it?"

"You could say that."

November put his cigarette out and tossed it. "Any other missions?"

"Soon, yes," Amber responded. "Yin, the Doll assigned to Hei, is going to be captured. Hei's going to go after her and get himself captured. Please help him escape. The last thing we need is for the police's Syndicate spies to kill him."

November began to walk away.

"Oh, but before you go," Amber continued, "I wanted to say that your costume looks very nice on you, Aisu."

"Thank you, Amber," November replied. "I just hope you don't get too attached. Once this is all over, I'll go back to the way I was before."

"I know," she said.

"Of course you do."

He left.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hei lay in bed in a sleep deeper than death. He dreamed of nothing. Even the tapping against his window did not wake him. Outside, Mao grew frustrated. He paced and knocked, continuously trying to wake Hei up. This was urgent!

"Hello, Mr. Cat."

Mao jumped and nearly fell off the window sill. On the roof, the figure of a man stood. The man smoothly repelled downward until he was hanging right next to Mao. Mao's eyes narrowed at the sight of the black mask, but immediately widened afterward.

"November?!" he exclaimed.

November smiled. "Shh, can you keep a secret?"

"You're supposed to be dead," Mao hissed.

November worked steadily at window. "I thought I was."

"But how…?"

"Amber. She's a sneaky little thing, isn't she?"

Mao stared blankly at him as he slid open the window.

"Don't tell Hei," November ordered. "Now, go."

Mao agreed instantly and slipped inside. The window closed behind him and November waved before retreating. The feline Contractor shook his little black head and leaped onto Hei's bed.

"Hei," Mao said. "Hei, wake up!"

Hei mumbled and turned over. Aggravated, Mao scratched his claws against Hei's arm. He got an electric shock in return. "Well, at least he's awake," Mao muttered.

"What is it, Mao?" Hei demanded.

"Yin's been captured."

"What?!"

That seemed to wake the Black Reaper right up. He looked at Mao incredulously.

"By who? Are you sure?" Hei babbled.

"The police," Mao answered. "I was heading over to her shop when I saw them take her."

Hei leaped out of bed with some of the most urgency Mao had seen from him in awhile. He changed quickly into his uniform, bulletproof coat and all. He hid his mask so that he could put it on once outside. Then, Hei was running. Tiredly, Mao followed after.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A half hour had passed. The girl's eyes remained blank. Misaki kept her eyes open, despite how tired she was. She felt that if she so much as blinked, Yin would vanish. Because of the sleep fog, it took her a second to realize that the power had gone out. BK-201's calling card.

Not wasting any time, Misaki signaled Hourai's pager. Their generator kicked in. She glanced over at the cell, only to see that BK-201 was in the process of breaking out his companion. Armed guards flooded the area.

Hei was having a difficult time fighting back all their firearms. It was going to be next to impossible to break Yin out with him. Even worse, a good deal of the soldiers had some form of rubber on, making it harder to get his attacks to hit.

"Hei," Yin said, "go."

Hei looked at her incredulously as he blocked a hit from a guard. "Are you crazy?"

"I---"

Yin was suddenly pulled away from him. A group of armored men held her back while other continued to go after Hei.

"Yin!" he shouted. Viciously, he cut through the soldiers. They just kept coming. He reached for her, but he was constantly being pulled back. He was a fish swimming upstream. Angrily, he let electricity buzz around him. It burst forth, frying anyone close to him. Bodies fell to the ground. Heavy boots stepped over them. Arms grabbed. A gun was held to Yin's head. The emotionless depths gave way to the faintest flicker of human fear. Irrationality claimed him.

"Enough!" he screamed. "Let her go! Let her go and I'll…I'll surrender. Her freedom for mine. No tricks."

The room froze. Hei stood still, breathing heavily. Misaki was the first to move, stepping out from behind the armed force.

"You're a Contractor," she stated. "This goes against everything you are."

"No, it goes against everything you _believe_ I am," he countered. "I give you my word; if you let Yin leave here, you can lock me up just like you've always wanted to."

"All this for a Doll?"

Hei glanced at Yin. The emotion that had been building up in her swirled just beneath the surface.

"Yes."

"No," Yin said in monotone. Then, louder, "No!"

She struggled against the guards. In shock, their grips loosened and she was able to break away. They were about to go after her again, but Misaki gave them the signal to stop. Yin ran. Her arms locked around Hei's waist and she buried her face in his chest.

"No," she mumbled again. "Don't leave me alone."

"Yin," Hei whispered, his voice softer. He took off his bulletproof trench coat and placed it around her small shoulders. She gazed up at him with violet eyes that had begun to truly understand sadness.

"Be safe," he told her.

A tear leaked unwillingly down her cheek as metal cuffs were latched onto Hei's wrists. Misaki held onto Yin's arm to lead the girl away. The Doll refused to turn from Hei.

"Why?" she asked Misaki, the emotion ebbing away again. "He's human."

"He's a murderer," Misaki retorted.

"You're wrong," Yin claimed quietly. "He sacrificed his own freedom for mine. He taught me how to feel human again. He…was my friend. A murderer wouldn't do that."

Misaki bit her lip to avoid saying anything else. A guard came by to escort Yin outside. Deep inside, Misaki felt her heart heave painfully. The two seemed close. It made her reluctant to tear them apart, despite the circumstances. BK-201's voice resonated in her head. It had been so soft and gentle. Then, a harsher tone screamed at her.

"_What do I have left for you to take from me?"_

Misaki shivered as she headed back downstairs. She shouldn't feel guilty. He was a Contractor. However, she couldn't stop her mind from thinking that she'd just found what he had left and stolen it. She shoved the thoughts to the back of her mind, replacing them with ones of blood and crime. It was her responsibility to take him down, no matter what.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Yin sat alone outside the police station. Her face was blank. In that instance that they had taken Hei away, she'd felt her heart move. She tugged Hei's coat tighter around her. Hei. Hei.

"You seem lonely," a smooth voice noted.

She didn't move. A hand touched her shoulder.

"Tell me, do you want to save Hei?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-


	3. Chapter 3

Hourai was on the phone. "Yes," he said. "I have BK-201 in custody. Shall I terminate him?" He waited for the other end to answer. "Very well."

Hourai hung up the phone and pulled out a key. Shoving the key into the slot on one of his locked drawers, he proceeded to rifle through the contents. He dug out a gun. The weapon was placed in his pocket and he stood. The Syndicate would pay him well for this.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Shoes clicked down the long hallway. They stopped outside of a specialized white cell. Inside of it, a dark figure was slumped against a wall. Blood dripped onto the white tile beneath him, tarnishing it. This was the most pathetic state she had ever seen BK-201 in. Misaki's eyes hardened.

"BK-201," she called.

He raised his head weakly. The mask was still in place. It, too, had been stained red. Through all this, though, it was obvious that the guards had chosen to beat him a little extra even after he surrendered. Guilt tugged at her, but she didn't let it show and entered the room without a trace of fear. For security, he had been shackled to the wall for the time being. His head dropped again as she drew closer.

"Are you under stress from not paying your price?" she asked, kneeling down. She hadn't expected him to answer. He fulfilled her expectations. She went on, trying to find that one nerve that would get him to talk. "Yin…she called you her friend, did you know that?"

She couldn't see the slight smile that graced Hei's face. To him, that at least was one blessing that might make this torture all worth it.

"Why did you save her?" Misaki wondered. "Most Contractors wouldn't have bothered. Of course, you've never seemed to follow the patterns of most Contractors."

"You keep asking questions when you know I won't answer," he stated.

"I'm just trying to understand," she responded with genuine sincerity.

"I'm a Contractor. I lie, betray, _kill_ by instinct. There is nothing to understand."

"If you were a killer by instinct, you wouldn't have bothered to rescue her."

Hei was silenced by Misaki's point. It was true. He never could have let Yin rot here alone. Misaki took note of his sudden silence. Its thickness had her craving to see what emotion his face betrayed just beneath that mask. These thoughts led her to notice something.

"There's a crack in your mask," she observed, slowly reaching out toward it.

Hei slapped her wrist away.

"Awfully protective of your identity, aren't you?"

Hei turned away from her again. "You might not like what you find."

"Why do you say that?"

Hei said nothing. He didn't need to.

Misaki put her hand out again. This time, her fingers brushed against the smooth white material. Just one little tug…

"Chief Kirihara, I do not believe I authorized you to be in that cell."

Misaki glanced over at Hourai, who had just arrived. She pulled away and stood, fingers still longing to pull off that disguise. To see those meaningful blue eyes she'd caught that one instant not so long ago. Instead she resisted. "Sorry, sir," she apologized. She exited the holding chamber, hand fisted.

"You are dismissed," Hourai announced regally. Reluctantly, Misaki nodded and walked away. However, right as she turned the corner, she found her curiosity getting the better of her. In other words; she eavesdropped.

Hourai marched up to the screen of Hei's cell, glaring at the man it concealed. "BK-201; the Black Reaper," he began. "You always were quite the trouble-maker, weren't you?"

"Are you just here to gloat, then?" Hei questioned flatly. Wasn't it enough to have him and stripped away his pride?

A code was typed in and the older man entered the unit. The click of a gun sounded. "No," Hourai replied. "I've been charged to take care of you once and for all. After you're dead, we should have no problem exterminating the rest of your team."

"You're from the Syndicate," Hei realized. It was all he could do to act like this didn't surprise him.

"And we know about your disobedience," the General declared. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that you can't run from the Syndicate?" He pointed the gun straight at Hei. No bulletproof coat to protect him now. "Do you have anything you want to say before I pull the trigger?"

Hei looked away in silence. He knew this day might come eventually. Not so soon, though. In the end, no words came to him.

There was a bang. Then another.

Misaki slapped her hand over her mouth. She tried not to look. Her memories swirled back to the last Contractor that had died. The one she'd almost called a friend. Jack Simon…November Eleven. Now another one was gone. BK-201 had been a criminal, but she didn't think she was ready to see his dead body yet.

"I might ask you the same question," a new voice countered. Misaki jolted upon hearing it. Wide-eyed, she poked her head around the corner. Impossible.

Hourai lay against the wall, blood oozing from his side. He clutched at the wound, grimacing, yet managing to glare at his opponent. Across from him stood the black-masked man, holding a gun. While his hood had not been pulled down, a few locks of golden hair had drifted over his forehead. Misaki's eyes darted to BK-201. She gasped. He was shaking, a hand clasped over his shoulder. He'd been shot. Yet, completely alive.

Unfortunately, her gasp had been heard. Hourai twisted to see their intruder. "Kirihara!" he shouted. Aisu turned to her as well. A soft smiled melted his face, nearly hidden by his high collar. Yin darted out from a hallway behind him.

"Yin," Aisu called. He bent down and whispered something to her. Understanding, the girl ran over to Misaki and grabbed the elder's hand.

"We have to leave," Yin stated, leading Misaki along. "You will be killed otherwise."

Aisu turned back to Hourai. The injured man had found his gun again and aimed it at Hei. The least he could do, he thought, was finish the job. Luckily, Aisu shot the weapon away. The Contractor approached Hourai and swiftly took something out of his pocket. In less than a second, the needle had been plunged in Hourai's neck and the General was out.

Hei cringed as Aisu began to glide toward him. Unexpectedly, the blonde gripped Hei's chains and started to glow a shocking blue while red eyes filtered out thin holes in his black mask. The metal covered with frost. It shattered easily. Aisu stuck out his arm to the freed Hei.

"Need a hand?" he offered. Aisu didn't wait for a reply and instead heaved Hei off of the ground. "I have made two promises that you would make it out of here alive and I expect to keep both."

"Why even bother?" Hei inquired exhaustedly. This man was a Contractor, after all.

Aisu didn't respond. Their pace quickened and Hei had to struggle to keep up. His vision was blurring and it was only getting worse as more blood flowed out. He tried his best to cover it up so that he wouldn't end up leaving a crimson trail behind him. The success of that plan? Debatable.

Hei stumbled. Aisu ignored him the first time it happened, however, after nearly falling to the ground a third time, he ducked his shoulder under Hei's good arm. He waited for Hei to complain. It was soon evident that Hei was too tired to do much talking at all.

They set down in a hidden ally way. While waiting for Yin and Misaki to show up, Aisu studied Hei carefully. The Black Reaper was breathing heavily. The bullet had dug mercilessly into his shoulder. Aisu cringed while remembering when he had been in a similar position, only with the shot having gone straight through his chest. The pain of the memory wasn't something that would fade away anytime soon.

"Aisu," Yin addressed. Aisu turned to see her standing at the entrance to the path. Misaki was positioned directly next to her. A mixture of confusion and impatience dominated her expression. Aisu found it difficult to look her in the eye.

This was one of those times in which Misaki wished she had X-ray vision. Masks, the both of them. It was the black-masked one that picked at her nerves the most right now, though. It kept her from seeing the face of the man she was almost positive was beneath it.

Confident that he wouldn't hurt her, Misaki stepped forward. Aisu made no move to avoid the woman. She was now only inches from him. His eyes moved to lock with hers. Blue. His irises were a striking sky blue. Slowly, her hand reached up to touch the mask. She caught him smile and put his hand on top of hers.

"Do you really want to do that?" he asked gently.

The look in her eyes was enough of an answer. She knew who he was. Aisu cautiously guided her other hand up to the opposite side of his face. He was glad when she didn't object to his touch. Together, they both removed the mask.

Misaki restrained the wetness in her eyes from pooling over. Golden hair fell over his face, messier than she remembered it. Yet, it was still _his_ face. The same structure, the same smirking lips, and the same teasing eyes of the man she thought to be dead.

"November," she whispered.

"Hello, Misaki," he greeted. "I'd say long time no see, but I really only saw you a little while ago."

"They said you were dead," she countered.

"Yes, well, they can be a bit unreliable at times," he replied. "And I'm supposed to be dead."

"It was staged?" Misaki gaped.

"No, no, no," he chuckled, waving his hands. "Well, at least, I wasn't in any part of that plan. It's quite a lengthy story. Sadly, we don't have time for it right now. I do believe Mr. BK-201 over there is fading fast."

It was only then that she paid full attention to her surroundings and saw the dark heap in the corner. Yin was leaning over the Black Reaper, his coat resting loosely on her shoulders. A pale hand touched the side of his neck lightly. Weakly, he raised his gloved hand to hold her wrist. She went to remove the coat to put it over him, but he shook his head. The soft emotion in the scene amazed Misaki.

November stuck the mask back onto his face so that Hei would not be able to tell his identity. "Yin," he called, "I think it's time we take him back, don't you?"

The girl nodded silently.

Aisu turned to Misaki. Gently, he told her, "You should go home now, Misaki. Hourai won't recall anything from the last few hours. Just remember, for now, I need to stay dead. My name is Aisu. If you tell anyone my actual identity, I'll have to kill you."

"Let me guess, that was a joke?" Misaki responded, dead-pan.

"You catch on fast," Aisu quipped. "However, I _will_ be in a lot of trouble, so I would appreciate it if you didn't all the same."

"Understood." Her lips said it, but she wanted to ask him so much else. How did he come back? What was he doing? Why? And most importantly: Would she ever see him again?

Aisu lifted the now-unconscious Hei off the pavement. Yin stayed close to his side. Then they vanished, leaving Misaki standing all alone in the night. She gazed up at the stars. They might have all been fakes, but one of her wishes just came true.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Light seared Hei's eyes as they finally opened. He cringed away from it. It was the feeling that suddenly alerted him to the absence of his mask. Despite the pain, he peeled open his eyelids further to see where he was. A hand fell onto his forehead.

"Well, well, well, look who's awake," a high-pitched female voice teased. "Have a nice nap, sleepyhead?"

Hei jolted forward, only to be met with a heated throbbing in his shoulder. He gasped and grabbed at it.

"You shouldn't move so much," the voice continued. "You were shot at, remember?"

Hei glared in its direction, finally able to locate the person speaking even though he already knew who it was. "Amber," he growled.

Her smile was sad as she gazed at him. "I told you you'd come eventually, Hei."

"Where are we?" he demanded.

"Don't be so snappy," she sighed. He protested as she tried to push him back down onto the table. She won.

"Ruby," Amber called, "can you come over here?"

The tall woman with the short black hair heeded and appeared by Hei's side. Amber gave Ruby a nod, to which Ruby nodded in return. Hei struggled as Ruby place her hand over his bullet-wound, but Amber wouldn't have any of it and held him still.

"Hei, calm down," Amber ordered. "Ruby won't be able to heal you if you don't."

"My, I figured he would be uncooperative, but I didn't think the great Black Reaper would throw a tantrum about it," a British accent added. Recognizing it, Hei's eyes darted over to see Aisu. Without his mask. November.

November strolled up to the fight as Hei glared at him. He laughed in the Reaper's face. "Come now, no need to act so childish," he commented.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Hei snapped.

"Is that any way to treat the person who just saved your life?"

Hei had no retort, but he kept his glare steady.

"Hei."

Hei was snapped out of his anger by the soft voice. From the shadows, a girl stepped out. Hei felt paralyzed and glad at the same time.

"Yin," he breathed.

The rest of the group backed away as she slowly approached him. When she was close enough, she raised her hands to her face. Her fingers pulled the corners of her mouth into a smile. The sight made Hei want to smile back.

"Yin will tell you everything," Amber said. She knew that Hei would believe the Doll more than he would believe her. A peaceful expression crossed Amber's face as she noticed how Hei's gaze didn't leave Yin even once. The time-traveling Contractor motioned everyone out.

"Are you sure they won't run away?" November questioned quietly.

"No," she answered. "But then again, Hei always was my variable."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-


	4. Chapter 4

**My only excuses are life and forgetfulness.**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hei wasn't used to hearing Yin say so much. By the time she finished explaining everything Amber had planned, she'd probably topped the amount of speech he had heard her use in his time knowing her. That didn't distract his attention from the point, though.

"Amber wants to...stop the humans from annihilating us?" he asked. "And she didn't mention how she was going to do that?"

"She said we will know when the time comes for it to happen," Yin replied quietly.

"I don't trust her," Hei stated.

"She knew you would say that," Yin answered.

"Yeah, well, that's all her own fault."

A pale hand was held out to him. A crumpled piece of paper was bound beneath the fingers. "For you," Yin said.

"Did Amber give you this?"

Yin nodded.

Wanting to burn the note more than read it, Hei took it from her. It was a struggle not to shred it as he opened it. Yet, when his eyes reached the words, his scowl faded for a second.

_I'm sorry,_ it said.

Hei's grip then began to shake. Gritting his teeth, he tore the paper apart until it was little more than confetti. His head fell into his hands. For five minutes, the only thing Yin could hear was his uneven breathing. He never told her what the note said.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Two days passed. Two days in which Hei was barricaded in the hideout. Two days of suffering November's jokes. Two days in which he tried and failed to forgive Amber. It was only then, after his existence had been almost completely erased, that he was allowed out. Amber had a mission for him and November.

It was simple. They were to retrieve another contractor who had also been a target of the Syndicate. Another recruit for their side. They were warned against the use of their powers, so that the Syndicate couldn't track them as easily. Despite the simplicity, Hei dreaded going.

"Aren't we the downer today?" Aisu/November chided.

Hei ignored him.

"No response?" Aisu teased. "Fine."

"The shop is right up there," Hei stated abruptly. They quickened their pace. In no time at all, they were in, only to find that it was empty.

"It seems she's left," Aisu noted.

Hei scanned the area thoroughly. His eye caught a slight bump in the floor rug. Unhesitatingly, he pulled the carpet off the floor. Metal filled the space. "A shelter," Hei identified. "She knew she was being targeted."

"Smart girl," Aisu said. He was interrupted by the clanging of Hei's knife against the lock. He was trying to break it open. Aisu shook his head. "That's not going to work."

"Any better ideas?" Hei snapped.

Aisu pushed him aside and brought out a small tool. He bent over the door and, three minutes later, it swung open.

"So you're a lock picker now?" Hei asked.

"Oh, no, this was something I learned back in my robbery days," Aisu answered lightly. He paused, expecting a reaction from his partner, but received silence. Finally, he sighed, "It was a joke."

"I'm not amused," Hei responded flatly. "Keep going."

Aisu snuck down the ladder, Hei right behind him. A heavy object knocked them off before their toes even touched the bottom. Luckily, they were swift enough to land on their feet. They both looked to see what hit them and saw a metal weight in the shape of an apple. They moved just before being tackled by a woman.

"HR-119," Aisu called. "You go by the name Jin Harinawa, correct?"

The woman glared at him fiercely. In a split second, she tore a strand of hair from her head and threw it like a spear toward Aisu. The ice-controlling Contractor looked down in surprise at the needle in his arm. Painfully, he pulled it out, barely avoiding an onslaught of five more.

Her actions left her open for the second Contractor in the room. Hei found it all too easy to dodge her frantic attempts at defense and grab her from behind. He put his knife to her neck.

"You change things into metal," Aisu observed.

"Want more proof?" she snarled. She grabbed at Hei's knife-wielding hand. The glove transformed instantly. She tried to use this advantage to escape, but Hei wouldn't let her and she found herself being held so tightly that she could barely breathe.

"We're not here to hurt you," Aisu assured. "We're trying to protect you from the Syndicate."

"Like I believe that," she spat. "This is just another trap!"

"Then you leave us no choice," Aisu answered. He nodded to Hei. Jin struggled her hardest, but the second Hei's gloved hand pushed on her neck, she went limp. Aisu accepted the unconscious girl from Hei. "You go up first," he said. "I'll hand her to you."

Hei zipped through the trap door again. Aisu quickly passed Jin up. Once Hei had relieved him of her, Aisu started up as well.

"I actually expected a little more of a fight from her," Aisu commented. "Wouldn't you…say…?"

There was only the unconscious body there.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Fresh air flooded his lungs. The temporary freedom was a relief. Hiding behind a dumpster, he stripped off his coat, mask, and gloves---one of which was slowly transforming back from being made of metal. They were stashed quickly. He needed to clear his head. Amber was busy crowding it and he needed her out. If not, the stress was going to make his head explode. That would be no good in future situations. He would return as soon as he calmed down. Yin was still back there, after all.

The coolness felt great on his bare arms. He was glad he'd forgone the long sleeves today. The night greeted him like an old friend, cloaking him from the rest of the world and bringing about a quiet peace. Hei gratefully sank into it.

Boots thudded softly on pavement for half an hour. His headache was fading. Even better, no one had recognized him yet or pointed out his attire. That relief was soon shot down.

"Li?"

Hei spun around at the voice. Misaki stood behind him, looking confused. Her head was tilted to the side. She adjusted her glasses, as if she wasn't sure what she was seeing.

"Is that you?" she asked.

"Uh…yeah," he replied, trying to act like the sweetly innocent person she believed him to be. "Misaki?"

"I haven't seen you in a while," she said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not," he answered immediately, waving his hands. "What would make you think that?"

"You look sad," she stated. "Honestly, I thought someone you knew had died. You're wearing so much black."

"It's for my new job," he lied smoothly.

"Late work?" she asked.

"Kind of," he answered, rubbing his neck bashfully.

"Hey, I was just on my way to get something to eat. Do you want to come with me?"

"No, sorry," Hei responded. "Isn't it kind of too late to eat, anyway?"

"I skipped dinner," she informed. "Are you sure?"

Hei glanced down the street. He considered. Then, it hit him that the Syndicate was tracking _him_ down. Public places were trouble and Misaki would be right in the line of fire. So, politely, he said, "I'm sure, but thanks for the offer."

Hei smiled at her, but Misaki could clearly see that there was still something heavy on his mind. For a minute, she let herself dwell in his deep blue eyes. There was something in them. Hiding, just beneath the surface…

_Something painful. Something human._

Misaki jolted mentally as her thoughts from a few days ago came back to her. Hei began to look at her weirdly.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I…"

Feet pounding on pavement shattered the conversation. Hei took a step in front of Misaki. His sudden defensiveness startled her. She glanced over his shoulder, wondering what had invoked such behavior. She soon got her answer in the form of a man in a light blue T-shirt and jeans. A white hat was fixed over familiar blonde hair and the old sunglasses she remembered were back again.

November glanced fleetingly between Hei and Misaki. What was he doing?! If the Syndicate caught them together, Hei's life wouldn't be the only one in danger.

"Jack!" Misaki called, walking out from behind Hei. She used his old code name due to _Li's_ presence.

November removed his sunglasses and locked eyes with Hei. The Black Reaper stared back at him. Misaki was lost in the middle.

"Misaki, I think you should go," November suggested, never glancing away.

"What's going on?" she demanded. "Do you two know each other? Jack, Li, someone answer me."

After another intense moment, Hei lowered his eyes and stepped to the side. He began to trudge past November. Misaki latched onto his arm.

"Li?" Her voice was so pleading, it pained him.

"Misaki, get away from him," November ordered.

Hei's fists tightened. This was just laying all the strain back on him.

"Why?" she questioned. "What's wrong?"

"He is emotionally unstable," November supplied. "The man you call Li is very dangerous right now."

Hei's muscles started to tremble beneath Misaki's hand. He struggled to say, "November is right, Misaki. Go home and pretend this never happened."

"But…"

"Please," November repeated, tugging her arm to get her to release the dark-haired man. Her hand fell away. Brown eyes widened as she noticed the way a faint blue light flickered around Hei. November pulled her closer. In her ear, ever so softly, he whispered, "Misaki, he's a Contractor."

"BK-201," she realized, barely audible. However, it was loud enough to reach Hei's ears. He turned to look at her one more time, a red light flashing briefly in his eyes. Then, he ran, unable to stand being there anymore.

"Li!" Misaki called as he retreated. "Li!"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for the reviews and favorites. I apologize for being held-up for so long. I hope I didn't lose too many of you in the long wait.**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"What in the blazes were you thinking?!" November screamed, shoving an unemotional Hei against the wall back at Amber's base.

"I was about to leave when you came," Hei responded monotonously.

"Are you sure? Because I find it rather convenient that you ran from the mission and then were found with Misaki. It seems to me more like it was planned," November hypothesized.

"Are you accusing me of purposely putting her in danger?" Hei retorted.

"Were you really considering that fact at the time?" the blonde Contractor persisted. "Or that you yourself could be a danger?"

"Of course I was," Hei answered. "I told you, I was leaving when you came. You seem very protective of her, though, _November._"

"I was simply concerned for the safety of our plan," November shot back. "And you seemed awfully protective as well judging by how you stood in front of her like that."

Both glared flatly as if daring the other to continue speaking.

"Enough," Amber called. "Can't you two just get along?"

November stopped pinning Hei to the wall. Hei noticed Yin walking in behind Amber. The pale girl strode up to Hei and stood beside him.

"You were angry," she stated quietly. "Why?"

Amber gazed thoughtfully at the two. Following up on Yin's question, she asked, "Is it because you're here? Hei, I know you don't trust me and I haven't really given you a reason to, but---"

"Stop talking, Amber," Hei snapped. "You're right, I don't like you and I don't trust you. I'm only here because you keep saying that you know where Pai is."

"But don't you want to help save the Contractors, too?" Amber continued.

"You haven't even told me how you plan to do that yet," Hei replied.

"If I did, it would ruin the whole plan," Amber answered.

"I bet it would also ruin your plan if I walked out right now," the Black Reaper threatened.

"You would be drawn back eventually."

Hei growled at her before stalking off. Yin followed closely behind him. "Are we leaving?" she questioned.

"She doesn't really know where Pai is," Hei stated. He grabbed onto Yin's hand and led them out with no resistance. November and Amber watched as they faded into the night, the former with tightened lips.

"You're worried that Misaki will get involved," Amber noted.

"This isn't her fight," November answered.

Amber sighed and handed him his gear. His face twisted into one of surprise. She smiled faintly at him.

"Don't do anything stupid."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Misaki started blankly at the ceiling of her apartment. Li was BK-201. Why hadn't she seen that? It was so obvious now that she thought of it. What was worse was that Li had been somewhat of a friend to her and BK-201 had been the one she'd sworn to take down. She wasn't sure what side she was supposed to choose. Exhaling heavily, she got up and entered her balcony, gazing up at the stars. Her eyes instantly picked out his. It was flashing brightly.

_He's using his abilities,_ she thought. As soon as she had, there was a crash from down below. She glanced down just in time to see a dark figure in a white mask electrocute a man who had previously been pointing a gun at him. The gun man collapsed onto the pavement. The dark figure dragged away the body and then returned to the street with a young girl by his side. _Li,_ Misaki realized. It hit her again that the man who had been her friend was also a killer. Her gun rested close by. She could shoot him right then.

Yet, her fingers remained motionless. She continued to watch as the Black Reaper removed his mask, revealing the face of Li. Regardless of past knowledge, it still hit her hard. His head suddenly tilted up toward her. For a moment, they both just stared at each other. Hei eventually turned away, almost ashamed, and began to run.

"Wait!" Misaki called on impulse. He didn't even hesitate. Another figure, white as an angel, walked from around the corner. He looked up at her as well. November. It looked like he was keeping tabs on Hei. Misaki waved to him. He smiled and nodded before dashing off.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A man, clothed from head to toe in black, adjusted binoculars. The lenses held the images of two young men and a young girl playing an unannounced game of Cat and Mouse. He seemed particularly interested in the one with the white mask. Smirking, he muttered, "Gotcha." The spy picked up a radio communicator and clicked a button on it. "Hello? I've located BK-201 as well as his Doll. Also, I thought you might find this interesting. November Eleven is with them."

From the other end of the line, Hourai nodded to himself. "Good job. Now all we have left to do is take them down. Keep an eye on those three. Find out if there are any patterns to their movements. It's time to set the trap."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Amber was a patient person. Hei had always been the only one with the ability to test that patience, though he rarely did and she rarely expressed her emotions when he felt the need to. However, their plan was narrowing down to its execution date and Hei was still running around in circles. She hadn't seen November in three days. If Hei didn't give up this silly little game soon…

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Misaki tried not to laugh at the man sleeping on her couch. It was a rather comical look for November, to be half-on and half-off the piece of furniture with his golden hair splayed all over the place. The only thing to detract from the amusing aspect of it all was the set of bandages around his shoulder. At least this way, she could tell when he was playing bodyguard instead of being stuck with the feeling that someone was constantly watching her.

Of course, at the beginning, November was in no way agreeable about being out in the open anywhere near her. He stuck to the shadows keeping an eye on her every now and then, only thinking that she hadn't noticed. Then, she finally got tired of this and called him out on it. He was embarrassed about being caught, but rambled on about how she was in danger and he didn't want the Syndicate to try anything and that an unstable Hei was still out there. So, the silent stalking had continued. It wasn't until three days ago that a cataclysmic event brought an end to this.

_Misaki wasn't the only one November had to follow. Hei was a loose cannon at this point. Any Contractor or human who got in his way was dead. November tried not to get in his way. Yet he watched from the shadows and in doing so it was simple enough to catch the signs of imbalance. He wasn't being rational or tactful, his moves were scattered and unplanned, he was constantly on edge and in anger. More than once, November thought he recognized some form of panic. Under all the stress and confusion, Hei was losing it. Completely and utterly losing it. This only meant that November had to keep a closer watch in case the ticking time bomb decided to attack Amber, Misaki, or even Yin (though he doubted the last). Sadly, it seemed that November's spying skills had grown rusty and Hei's knife shot out faster than his words._

_November dodged by a hair, but doing put him in the spotlight. Not a great place to be at the moment._

"_Aisu," Hei growled. His knife flew out again. No games were being played here. Hei had had enough of the Evening Primrose and all its members._

_November ducked under the soaring metal. "Testy, are we?" November asked._

"_Why are you following me?" Hei demanded._

"_Because you've clearly gone insane," November answered bluntly. The blade was pitched at his head again at this. "You've been killing anyone with even the slightest potential to be a Syndicate member. All the Contractors who have crossed your path are dead, no matter whose side they were on. I can't image it doesn't bother you on some level. You used to be more human than this. You gave up your freedom for Yin. Yet you stand here now as a madman."_

_The speech angered Hei, who responded by launching a furious brigade of attacks on November. "Shut up!" the Reaper demanded._

"_I'm trying to reach you, here," November continued, now reduced to hand-to-hand combat._

"_I don't want your or Amber's help," Hei refused, strategically striking his knife down November's arm. The blonde man hissed in pain, gripping his bleeding arm as he backed away. Hei prepared for the final hit._

_Misaki meanwhile had heard the commotion on her way to her way back from a nearby diner she'd gone to for a late dinner. Being the justice-seeker she was, she darted toward it with gun at the ready. Then, she caught sight of their faces. Soon after, she saw the blood._

"_Stop!" Misaki screamed, running to the edge of the battlefront. The figures froze a split second before Hei's knife came slicing down onto November's neck. The Black Reaper glanced toward her with those deep blue eyes of his and again Misaki noticed the pain and humanity in them, even though those had been violently mixed with cold, blind, undirected rage. Just as quickly as she absorbed this, though, he had vanished into the night._

_November let out a sigh of relief. "Misaki, what were you thinking? He could have killed you. He isn't the sweet little Li you thought he was."_

"_I know," Misaki agreed, although she wished it weren't true. She strode to November's side. "You really need to get that shoulder wrapped up. You're bleeding like crazy."_

"_If you don't recall, I've had worse," he informed, making an effort to stand straight. Misaki's frown deepened when she noticed the thin layer of sweat building up on his uncharacteristically pale face. His blue gaze was beginning to become unfocused and when he took a step back, there was a slight sway to it. She grabbed his arm._

"_I have a first aid kit back at my apartment," she offered._

"_It's dangerous for you to be seen with me," he stated._

"_It's also dangerous to walk around with a knife wound," she retorted. "Besides, it's the middle of the night."_

_As he followed her back reluctantly, he whispered, "But that's the time of day that is _most_ dangerous."_

She had helped him bandage his shoulder as promised, but his intentions of leaving were cut short. As soon as the wrapping was done, he became drowsy with blood loss and exhaustion. He'd attempted to stand, but nearly passed out in doing so. The only persuasion she'd needed to convince him to stay the night was a light push on his good shoulder and the softness of the couch beneath him. He'd all but blacked out before he was all the way down.

The reason November was continuing to stay here involved what happened the next day. A threat had been placed on Misaki's life when a Contractor made to murder her on her way to work. A black blur had taken the man out with a quick shock to the heart. Misaki didn't need to see his face to know that the Black Reaper had saved her. November wasn't far behind and, upon realizing that there might be more who wished her dead, abruptly changed his opinion on sticking close by her side. Thus, she had a bodyguard. In turn, she continued to help him with the knife wound and he had somehow ended up on her couch every night since. As long as he didn't try anything, she was fine with it. This was also her way of making sure he didn't go off and get himself killed again.

Misaki started the coffee maker, checking on November every once in a while. She wasn't sure if he was just a deep sleeper naturally or if it was due to his healing injury and activeness during the past few days. When the coffee was finished, she poured two cups full and looked over toward her house guest again, surprised when she couldn't find him.

"If _I_ can sneak up on you, you might be in more danger than I originally thought," November's heavily accented voice commented from close behind. She spun, nearly spilling the coffee. He smiled softly. "I apologize if I startled you."

She shook her head at him and held out the cup. "Here," she grunted.

"Thanks," he said, accepting it.

They drank in silence, letting morning just be morning for once without anyone trying to rush it into midday. When they finished, the cups were placed in the sink and Misaki gathered her papers together while November cleaned up. How strange, she thought, that after only a few days this already felt normal. Today, November would come to work with her, under the cover of being an intern, and "job shadow" her. In fact, they would have to leave in five minutes if they wanted to get there on time. She didn't doubt that November would be ready in time. If there was one thing she learned, it was that he was very punctual. As expected, he came out of the bathroom looking prim, proper, and disguised to her content.

Except for one thing.

"I can still see your hair," Misaki noticed. Blonde locks had pushed out from underneath the black wig she'd given him. She walked up and fixed the error without a second thought. He frowned.

"Blasted thing," he cursed.

"Your blonde hair is a dead give-away," Misaki stated. "Even if you don't look Japanese, that would be pushing your cover."

"I suppose so," he agreed, straightening out the fake black-rimmed glasses as well. "Think anyone will recognize me?"

"Hopefully not," Misaki replied. "Now let's go before we're late."

The two rushed out and to the waiting blue car. One of Misaki's middle-aged neighbors shook her head, smiling lightly. "It's about time," she thought to herself.

However, this woman was not the only one who spotted them. The spy, armed with his binoculars, caught onto the disguised November as well. He scoffed. "They're just making this too easy for us."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-


	6. Chapter 6

Hei and Yin sat on top of a few crates in the shipyard, Yin's feet dipped in a shallow puddle. Hei's eyes were alert for any incoming vessels that they could jump onto. It was time to run, he decided. He wasn't sure where they'd go, but as long as it was far, far away from Amber and the local Syndicate, he was fine with it.

"Hei," Yin said. She pointed over to her right. Hei's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the shadow lurking behind the warehouse. Upon realizing that he was caught, the man stepped into the light. A smirk played on his lips.

"Long time no see," he greeted. "Remember me? CC-592? Well, you're about to."

The man clapped his hands together, immediately sucking out all of the oxygen around Hei. The Black Reaper jumped away from his position, trying to find where the air-less boundary ended. He usually only got one breath in before the oxygen vanished again.

"I come with a message from Amber," CC-592 declared. "You need to head toward the gate. Otherwise, thousands of people are going to die. You will be responsible. She also says...you sister is there."

Hei's anger reached its boiling point. Lies! All Amber ever did was lie. When he found the edge of the barrier again, he sucked in one last deep breath and charged toward CC-592 with his knife at the ready. CC-592's eyes were the peaceful ones of a man who had long-since accepted that he was condemned to death and was ready to embrace it.

"Alright, destiny, time to dance," he muttered.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

November folded his arms on top of Misaki's desk and rested his head on top. He watched Misaki fill out papers and forms of all sorts. She glanced into his unwavering blue gaze every few minutes, finding it harder to look away each time. Finally, she sighed and leaned back.

"Having fun?" she questioned.

"Not particularly," he responded. "And this wig is quite uncomfortable."

"You didn't have to follow me," she stated.

"But what if you were to be attacked?" he replied.

"I have a gun," she stated.

"Please, just humor me," he said. "It will put my nerves at ease."

"If you say so," she replied flatly.

Suddenly, the door burst open. "Chief," Saitou called almost frantically. "There are reports of a Contractor battle in the shipyard. You're needed."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"It's time," Amber whispered to herself. She closed her eyes and took a few calming breaths. Then, she called, "Everyone, get ready. We're going to infiltrate Pandora and enter the Gate. You've all been told what to do. Now go."

An organized chaos erupted around the edges of the wall. In a matter of minutes, tanks and armed soldiers would come in and start firing away. Many of her comrades would not make it. Tonight, the stars would fall.

"It's all up to you now," she whispered. "Hei, November, Chief Kirihara. And Hei…I'm sorry."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Misaki and November bolted out of the car and sprinted across the grounds. They could hear fighting close by and Misaki somehow just knew that one of the fighters would be Li…Hei.

"Be careful," November warned as they grew closer. "It sounds vicious."

Misaki nodded and crossed the last of the distance. She got to the scene just in time to see Hei stab CC-592 through the heart. She froze, still not used to the idea of seeing "innocent" Li murder anyone. With great effort, she choked back her fear and dashed forward. November called at her to stop, but she knew that Hei would vanish if she did.

Hei turned at the commotion and found Misaki only a few feet away. She stopped and stared him down.

"Li," she breathed.

His jaw tightened. "My name is Hei," he informed. "Li never existed."

"I don't believe that," she said as November paused not too far behind her. "Maybe not in name, but he did as a person. I think he still does."

"It was an act," Hei denied, a growl leaking into his voice. "A well-played act. Why can you not understand that?"

"Then why didn't you just let me die all those times or murder me yourself?" Misaki asked. "I've seen you kill, but I've also seen you save lives. And when that girl---your _friend---_Yin was captured, you offered your freedom for her own. You cared. That's the part of you that's still Li."

He glanced away. "You're wrong."

"No, I don't believe she is," November agreed. "Amber talked about you quite a lot. She told us why you joined the Syndicate in the first place. You were never a killer, Hei. You did it to protect your younger sister, right?"

"Shut up!" Hei roared, the corners of his eyes beginning to grow wet at the thought of his dead sister. "I am the Black Reaper. A Contractor. I kill and that's all there is to it."

Misaki realized that they were really pushing Hei's limits. He was breaking apart right before her eyes. She could see now that the Black Reaper was always a mask, exactly like the haunting white one he wore on missions. Both could be cracked and shattered, though. She was finally able to see his true face.

"Things are changing," November announced. "Being a Contractor doesn't mean being a cold, hard killer anymore. We can still be human. You should know that better than anyone. Don't worry, you'll understand eventually."

Hei's hands began to shake. Yin walked to his side silently and took hold of one arm. She was trying to calm him down the only way she knew how. Hei exhaled deeply and turned his back to November and Misaki.

"I'd run before the Syndicate comes after you as well," he advised. Police sirens wailed in the background, but Hei and Yin were gone long before they reached the scene.

"Where did BK-201 go?" Hourai inquired.

"He was gone before we arrived," Misaki reported. She pointed toward the corpse on the ground. "The victim seems to have been killed by a knife wound."

Hourai wandered over to the body to inspect it, Misaki and November following.

"There are two puncture points," Hourai noted. "Yes, definitely BK-201." He spun to face the car again and began walking. "We don't have time to stand around, however. Pandora has been breached by the Evening Primrose. We're leaving immediately. Everyone, get in the van. Intern, looks like you're going to be receiving some first-hand experience."

Misaki nodded, trying to fight back her nerves. Hourai was part of the Syndicate. Could he have figured out that she knew? The fact that Hourai was having November come as well only made her more on edge. Keeping a stoic expression, she locked eyes with the British man for a second. She could see that he was just as anxious as her.

Before she left, Misaki caught a scrap of white in her peripheral vision. The dead Contractor's hand was fisted around something. Making sure that no one was looking, she grabbed a note out of his hand. She hid it in her pocket. When she and November were seated in the back of the van, she retrieved it again. Only two words were written.

_Thank you._

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Hei," Yin said as the two were running, her hand held tightly in his. "Huang is coming."

He nodded. "This way," he urged, leading her farther into the confines of the shipyard, hopefully away from Huang. The last thing they needed was to be dragged back into this mess. Both were abruptly stopped when a van skidded to a stop in front of them. Hei crouched into a fighting pose. The door flew open.

"Get in!" Huang shouted. "Now!"

"The Syndicate is chasing us down," Mao reported. "They know. We all need to move."

Although he was reluctant to do so, Hei showed no hesitancy in jumping into the van. Yin slid in next to him, pressed close. He could feel her muscles tightening.

"Don't worry," he reassured her, something he was not used to doing. Hei put his arm behind her shoulders, which seemed to relax her a bit. Unconsciously, Yin pressed a fraction closer to him. The feeling of Hei next to her made her feel…safe.

"Hold on!" Huang warned. He slammed on the gas and the van shot forward. It wouldn't be long before they reached the Gate.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The police van passed through a war zone. Contractors and soldiers were everywhere. It was impossible to tell which side was winning. But when Misaki looked to the sky, all she could see was star after star falling. When she was younger, this would have been a virtual miracle. Now, it brought her nothing but dread. She and November stayed silent throughout the ride. However, the closer they came to the wall; the more they felt like shoving open the doors and jumping out. Misaki placed her hand over November's in anxiety. This felt like a death sentence. He tried smiling back at her as some form of comfort, but she could clearly see that he was thinking the same.

"We're here," Hourai announced, exiting the vehicle. Several armed guards met up with them. Misaki and November stuck closer together and put on their best act. The group marched through the heavy security and wandered down long, winding hallways. Eventually, they came upon a large room filled with scientific equipment.

"This," Hourai announced, motioning grandly to the room, "is the Saturn Ring. With it, we will be able to stop the incident at Heaven's Gate from reoccurring. As a side-effect, all Contractors will be wiped from existence. But I'm sure you already knew that."

November found the wig and glasses being yanked away from him as he was restrained. A gun was pressed to his temple. Misaki gasped as she also found herself bound by the grip of the guards that had accompanied them here.

"And now you can watch," Hourai said coldly.

November glared heavily at the man. He couldn't even use his ice abilities on the guards. The type of armor they were wearing would make such an action futile.

Misaki's eyes, however, caught the image on the screen. She couldn't help her limbs from trembling just the tiniest bit. There, in the center of the destroyed city, stood Hei and two young girls, one blonde, one silver-haired. They were talking, not making any moves. The only voices she heard, though, were those of the scientists as they prepared their machine.

"They're not doing anything!" she shouted in protest.

"We're ready," called one of the men.

"No!" she screamed.

November stared blankly at the screen. Please, he begged, please let them have a _plan._ Then, Amber abruptly vanished, leaving only a pile of clothes behind. November blinked. She used up the last of her power, he realized. Which meant she did have a plan. Shouting erupted around the room as Hei disappeared as well. He soon miraculously reappeared inside the machine. A blue glow surrounded him and seeped into his surroundings. The glow suddenly exploded into a blinding flash. Misaki and November both squeezed their eyes shut.

A massive bang sounded.

And then it was over.

Misaki opened her eyes to see a large hole in the roof. In the background of her thoughts, Nishijima was ordering a second discharge. Schreider told him that wasn't possible and began to explain that BK-201 must have altered every single anti-Gate particle on the quantum level. There were no more particles left to discharge. Her attention was only fully brought back when Nishijima punched the scientist in the face.

Schreider fell backward as Nishijima began to shout at him. Then, unexpectedly, Hourai pointed his gun at Nishijima.

"The Syndicate wouldn't dare get rid of me!" Nishijima claimed. His defense didn't work. A bullet was put straight through hi heart and he fell to the ground. Hourai went over to be sure he was dead. Once he was positive, Hourai aimed his gun at November and Misaki.

"Kirihara, I'm disappointed," he said. "You were going to be one of our best agents. And you." He shifted his attention to November. "You should have been dead a long time ago."

"You'll be caught," Misaki defended. "You and the Syndicate you're a part of as well as all other Syndicates."

"The Syndicate holds a place in every form of government imaginable," Hourai informed. "Their reach extends to the entire globe. I won't be caught."

"The Syndicate won't stay secret for long," Misaki stated. "You're part of a vast conspiracy that just attempted genocide on thousands of people. EPR didn't even make the first move, did they? You lured them here to justify your attack. Total extinction has always been your goal. Tell me, what will you do when the public knows about Contractors? Your plans won't be so simple to cover up then."

"The public will never know about Contractors or the Syndicate," Hourai countered. "You have no proof."

"Yes," she responded, holding up the recorder, "I do."

"Then I will take it from your hands once you die," Hourai threatened.

A knife on a cable suddenly flew in from out of nowhere and knocked the gun out of his hand. Hourai turned in shock only for a wire to wrap around his neck and electrocute him. The man fell unconscious to the ground. Hei jumped down from his perch on the roof and reeled his knife back in. His face hidden behind his mask, he held the blade over Hourai's heart.

"No!" Misaki screamed. "Hei!"

He paused to turn toward her. Swiftly, he tucked his knife back into his belt. She grabbed his arm before he could run away.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Away from the Syndicate," he answered. "You won't see me again."

"Somehow, I find that hard to believe," November replied. He looked at the sky through the hole Hei had created and smiled softly. "The world works in strange ways."

"Why should you care?" Hei questioned suspiciously.

"Because you're my friend," Misaki admitted, although the words were difficult to say. "As Li at first, but you didn't let me die when it would have been so easy to do so."

"She makes a good argument," November agreed.

He took off his mask so that he could look her straight in the eyes. "Friends," he said, "will get you in trouble."

After that, he swung out of the room and out of her sight. She sighed.

"He didn't deny it," November pointed out. "That you were his friend."

Misaki's lips tilted upward. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I think I would like to go find April and July. Then, I will probably disappear as well."

She breathed in deeply. "May I come with you?"

He glanced at her curiously. "For what reason?"

"I can't work for the police any longer now that I know the Syndicate has infiltrated it," she responded.

"It will be a long, hard, dangerous road," he warned.

"I know," she answered. "And I'm ready for it."

He offered his hand to her. She took it with a smile and together they walked out. Around them was still chaos, but the dawn was bringing new life to the world. Misaki and November began to take their first steps down a long road. Far away, Hei and Yin did the same. Although these two were a great distance apart, their paths and destinations were the same. Each of them was walking the middle road. One day, in the future, they might meet upon it once more.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-


End file.
